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Mayor Byron W. Brown and Police Commissioner Daniel Derenda announced this morning that an arrest has been made in the March 6th fatal shooting of taxi cab driver, Mazen Abdallah.

Homicide Detectives have charged 17 year old Maurice R. Howie of Buffalo with murder in the second degree.

Mayor Brown said of the arrest, “On Tuesday an arrest was made in the MLK Park shootings and this morning we have an arrest in the death of Mr. Abdallah. I’ve said before, it doesn’t matter if a case is a month old, a year old or ten years old we will pursue every lead to bring people to justice.”

Commissioner Derenda added, “Every investigative means was used in this month and a half long investigation including surveillance video from city cameras, information from the public and analysis of key data provided at the Erie County Central Police Services Lab.”

Detectives say Abdallah had gone missing in the early morning hours of March 6th, when he was located in the back seat of an Airport Taxi that he was operating. The 55 year old victim had been shot to death and discovered by his co-workers in the 700 block of Norfolk Avenue.

Homicide Detectives Michael A. Mordino and Richard W. Wagstaff, Reginald Minor, Salvatore A. Valvo, along with Detective Sergeant James P. Lonergan as well as South District Detective Sergeant John F. McGrath and Detective Mark Fitzpatrick all participated in the investigation.

Howie is currently being held at the Erie County Holding Center without bail.